Herman Martin Maisel (November 26, 1925 - October 2, 2007), a native of Mobile, Alabama, was known around the nation as a prominent real estate developer and an all-around businessman.

Early life

Maisel was born to his immigrant parents I.B. and Rebecca Maisel on November 26, 1925. He grew up in the Grove of Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

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The area where he grew up was and still is a run down neighborhood. Herman attended Old Shell Road School and Murphy High School. He graduated from Murphy in 1942 where he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball. Not old enough to enlist in the Marines, Maisel went to work in the Mobile Shipyards. Once he reached the age of 18, he joined the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. He served in the Pacific Theater where he was nearly killed by a Japanese hand grenade. Several pieces of shrapnel entered the back of his body. He was taken to a military hospital in Guam, where he would be safe. He was later given an Honorary Discharge and was awarded with a Purple Heart. After returning to the United States of America, Herman entered the University of Alabama

University of Alabama

The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....

 where he was named an All-Star in intramural football, baseball, and basketball. While in Graduate School at the University, Maisel coached the freshman football and basketball teams. After graduation, in 1952, he became assistant football coach and head basketball coach at Murphy High School. In 2000, Maisel's contributions to high school sports were recognized by the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame

Mobile Sports Hall of Fame

The Mobile Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the Mobile Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit and is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors...

, of which Maisel was an active member.

Real estate

After coaching, Maisel entered real estate and, in 1971, acquired the pre-existing real-estate company Staples, Pake & Griffin Real Estate. The company, renamed Herman Maisel & Company, became "one of the top 100 shopping center developers in the United States with holdings in fourteen states".http://www.nbc15online.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3aa96d60-f818-4032-83f7-9fd54aa5cf56&rss=217 Maisel also was-cofounder of the Mobile Greyhound Park.

Religion

Maisel actively participated in conservative Judaism. He attended the Ahavas Chesed Synagogue and served as president for several years.

Family

Herman was married to Freida Gutlow Maisel for 60 years. Freida gave birth to two sons (Ivan and Elliot) and one daughter (Kathy Bronstein). Herman had 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way at the time of his death. His son Ivan is a senior writer for ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 he has also written for Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

in past.